However, the trends interpreter rightly admitted that it’s too early to predict a winner, and stressed that a hotly contested battle between the two platform holders would benefit both retailers and third-party publishers. “A ‘two horse’ console race would be positive for software publishers and retailers if [the companies] are forced to compete aggressively for market share,” he said.

Nevertheless, Sony will be particularly pleased with this turn of events, as it was considered the underdog in North America right up until the PS4’s launch. Of course, as we stressed in our recent New Year’s resolutions article, the company still has a lot of work ahead of it – and it will need to remain sharp if it aims to maintain its slender headstart.

User Comments (12)

It's a good start. I don't think many people expected Sony to get off to such a strong opening in North America and the UK, as they were both strongholds for Microsoft. Still a lot of work to do, though.

I think its going to be close for the first 12/18 months but when Sony starts rolling out the awesome consistently they'll start to pull ahead. Unless of course people are pigheaded and blindly loyal. I may buy an Xbox one in the distant future if I can get my hands on one for a couple of hundred quid. My brother was one of the pigheaded ones but I'm slowly brainwashing him into buying a PS4, he is already jealous of my lovely little vita.

@RyoHazuki After all the people I saw trying to defend Microsoft's DRM policies, I'd say pigheadedness and blind loyalty is in full swing.

That said, after everything the PS3 offered, people know what to expect from Sony's first party studios. I'm thinking that's why the PS4 is doing so phenomenally despite it having less launch exclusives than the 'bone.

@BornOfEvil yeah, I think xb1 is relying more on exclusives to keep up/ahead etc more than ps4 but in the long run ps4 will have have better and possibly more exclusives and certainly be more original too.

@charlesnarles@RyoHazuki Yeah, the only noteworthy Xbone exclusives coming up are Halo and Titanfall. While the PS4 has - and I'm counting Japan too - Yakuza Ishin, Second Son, The Order: 1886, Uncharted, DriveClub and whatever Media Molecule and Santa Monica are working on.

It's a good start but Sony is going to have to sign some third parties up for exclusives to counter MS if it wants to stay close in NA. Titanfall is going to be huge, will probably easily outsell inFamous and DriveClub combined (I don't think it will be a better game but this is NA we're talking about, people here love CoD and this is CoD on steroids with mechs). Sony needs to be in negotiations to lock up either Destiny or Watch_Dogs. Frankly I think Watch_Dogs looks like complete dog sh*t but still has a chance to be big. Not as big as Titanfall but a hit none the less and it'd be a huge plus to have it exclusive. Paying Konami to get MGS back is a must as well.

@BornOfEvil
Can't leave Quantum Break and Sunset Overdrive off the X1 list. If DriveClub is on the PS4 list then those two X1 games need to be mentioned as well.

@Gamer83 I'm not so sure about Sunset Overdrive. I mentioned DriveClub because I hear it being talked about a lot, but next to no one talks about Sunset Overdrive - I actually forgot it existed until you mentioned it.

@Gamer83 I HIGHLY doubt Titanfall is going to outsell inFamous & DriveClub. There are those who are following inFamous from 1 & 2. Then there's the PS4 buyers who want to play more games on their PS4. Also you have those who are waiting to play a new open world game of which inFamous always brings to the table.

I plan on getting a PS4 sooner to actually play inFamous: Second Son. Don't underestimate the game.

Titanfall will outsell them, it's a highly hyped FPS from the people who put Call of Duty on the map. Like I said, I think inFamous will be the better game but as good as those games are, they've never been big sellers. The first two games performed well enough at retail to warrant another sequel, thankfully, but inFamous doesn't move consoles or sell in huge numbers to existing owners either. Certainly doesn't bring in what GTA can on one console alone.